For any fans of epic fantasy, especially the gritty Game of Thrones television show, Jason Momoa has been cropping up all over the place. From the barbarian war chief Khal Drogo, to the main bad guy in the Sylvester Stallonefilm Bullet to The Head, he's a recognizable face. With his casting as DC Comics' King of the Sea in the form of Aquaman though his stardom has reached new heights. There's a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that a lot of fans might not know about though. Interesting things that might give you a totally different view on Momoa as an actor. Things like:

He Began His Career As A Pretty Boy

Credit: MorgueFile Image

It isn't unusual for a lot of actors to start off their careers as models, or on television. But when someone takes a look at Momoa's nearly six-and-a-half-foot frame their first thought likely isn't about selling jeans. He won awards in Hawaii, his place of birth, for being a top model though. When he decided to get into acting he decided to put his beach body to good use, and got a role on the Baywatch television show. A natural place to go since Momoa was one of the youngest lifeguards in Gulf Coast history, and if worse came to worse could really jump into action camera or no camera.

Is Quite An Athlete in His Spare Time

While it comes as no surprise to anyone who has seen Momoa with his shirt off that he's a big fan of active past times, it might surprise some people just how seriously he takes his regimens of fun. Whether it's rock climbing, surfing, biking or any of a half dozen other activities Jason is more than keen to throw himself right into it. What does come as a surprise to a lot of people is that it wasn't until he was cast in the role of Conan, perhaps the most famous barbarian in the history of fantasy literature, that he learned how to lift weights. Until that point the actor had never once been inside a weight room.

Crafted One Of The Most Accurate Conan Performances

Credit: Wikimedia Commons Image

A self-proclaimed weirdo who loves a good book just as much as he does being active in the great outdoors, Momoa grew up reading both the books about Conan the Barbarian as well as the comic books that illustrated the infamous Cimmerian's adventures. Despite his being a fan of Conan though it was sheer luck that he landed the role in the franchise, since Momoa was actually auditioning for the part of his better-received barbarian Khal Drogo. When Momoa performed a haka, a war dance traditional to the Maori people, one of the casting directors put word over to the team that was assembling Conan and informed them that he had just found their lead.

Momoa threw himself into becoming the infamous Cimmerian, starting with sword practice at five in the morning coupled with a weight lifting and cardio regimen that left him reeling by the end of the day. However, he also brought his knowledge of the character to his performance, presenting a faster, leaner Conan than the one audiences had seen in the famous performance delivered by Arnold Schwarzeneggerin the 1980s. The film was meant to be a truer-to-the-books interpretation of Hyborea, and Momoa brought a Conan whose movements he'd honed by studying Japanese sword tactics and combining them with the animalistic movements of big cats, wolves, and other terrifying predators.

He's Descended From Surfing Royalty

While those outside of the surf scene might not know the name, Momoa's uncle is the famed surfer Brian L. Keaulana. An impressive family member, especially for someone who is no stranger to surfing himself, it seems athleticism runs in Momoa's family.